New Waters
by The Whovian
Summary: Anna works as a nurse in the Arendelle hospital, and just barely manages to initiate a relationship with Doctor Elsa Sleet, the head surgeon. It's rough for both of them. Elsa is trying to figure out her sexuality and tackle her depression, Anna is trying to achieve more with her life, and both are trying to be comfortable with each other.
1. Chapter 1

**Don't own Frozen, I'm new to the fandom, hope you enjoy :)**

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Doctor Elsa Sleet walked into the hospital, pretty as always. Like always, she had braided her hair into a bun at the back of her head. Pale skin matched light green scrubs. Long fingers reached for her clipboard. God, those fingers were beautiful. And they saved lives in the operating room time and time again. How smart did a surgeon have to be? Well, Elsa was probably smarter than all of them. Like, way smarter. And a hot body to match. Skinny, but those hips don't lie. Her posture must be absolutely perfect. Did she work out? Because…damn…

Doctor Sleet's eyes glanced up at the observing Anna. Anna ducked her head down to look at her paperwork. Those eyes were so _blue_, and absolutely gorgeous. They were perfectly round, perfectly large, and perfectly…perfect.

Doctor Sleet walked around Anna, while she just prayed that Doctor Sleet hadn't noticed Anna's stare. But you have to admit, Doctor Sleet was really hot. It was hard enough being socially capable around most people, but around Doctor Sleet? Impossible. Anna could barely hold a conversation with her. Doctor Sleet would always be smooth, and her voice was magic, while Anna stuttered, misspoke, or got cake on her face.

"Anna, sweetie, you've been standing there for a couple minutes now." Behind the desk, Belle had stopped typing on the computer to look up at Anna.

"Oh! Sorry!" she exclaimed, running away to her next patient.

And it was only 7 am. It was so early. Anna hated getting up early. At least she'd been a nurse here long enough that she rarely got the _really_ crappy shifts. From 2 am until 2 pm was the worst shift she'd ever run. Well, she had been watching Hart of Dixie, and that day, had refused to stop watching it until Zoe finally got together with Wyatt. Of course, even though she watched two seasons, and got no sleep before her shift, they never even kissed.

Who was first today? The first bed to her right was the rudest, pushiest old man she'd ever encountered. "Hello Mr. Weasleton." She smiled anyway, and began looking at his clipboard at the end of the bed.

"Terrible! Do you know how loudly Sandy snores during the day?"

Sandy was sitting in the neighboring bed. "It's payback for your rancorous complaints every second of the day" she snapped. "Honestly, the only reason she cares is because she's the nicest person God ever made."

"Aw, thank you, Ms. Creon" Anna said, smiling over at the old woman. She looked at his IV. He'd been admitted for severe dehydration, as he told her. He had refused to drink the tap water in his house, and had collapsed. Anna suggested he get a water filter, if that would make him feel better. He had only grumbled in response to that.

"Miss, come here" Mr. Weasleton whispered. He was gesturing for her to lean in close, like he was about to tell a secret. Anna complied. "Now, don't tell anyone, but I actually quite like the sound of her snoring!"

"Why is that?"

"It's such an exciting thing about a woman!" He wouldn't offer any more explanation, so Anna just shuddered internally, and began checking his heart rate. She looked at her watch and counted the beats. Normal. Good.

"Alrighty, sir, it's time to check on your blood pressure. If everything's looking good, then you might be leaving soon."

"Thank goodness!" he proclaimed loudly. Sandy turned the page in her book.

Sandy was her next patient, and sweet as always. Sandy was a grandma to over 20 grandchildren, and could recall all their names, birthdays, interests and best friends. She claimed to have the best recipe for snickerdoodles on God's blessed earth, and promised to bring some to Anna when she was released. Anna hoped she would be just like Sandy as an old lady. Though, maybe with only 10 grandchildren.

The next was a 20-some woman with short hair and a fair amount of muscles. She was a professional weightlifter, and looked absolutely adorable. Her hair was platinum blonde, like Doctor Sleet's….

The rest of the day continued like normal. She took a break for some tea at 9. Lunch break at 1. She had packed some homemade stir-fry vegetables and chicken. She ate in the cafeteria, other nurses and doctors scattered around. But she usually sat with Kristoff, the first nurse that had been nice to the klutzy Anna.

"So Belle told me you were staring at Doctor Sleet again" said Kristoff, smiling and nudging her shoulder. Anna groaned, and put her head on the table.

"I was having such a good day, and you remind me of that." God, other people saw her embarrassing herself.

"Hey, you're the one who's not doing anything about that crush of yours" Kristoff replied. Anna smacked his arm.

"Well, she's Doctor Sleet. What am I supposed to do?"

"You should ask her to lunch. Or to breakfast. Or to watch a movie at your house. Or go on a walk in the park and talk to each other. Or to an art museum. Or-"

"You should shut up." Anna put a huge bite of sticky rice in her mouth, and chewed. That art museum date didn't sound too bad. Maybe Kristoff wasn't a dunderhead after all.

"Hey, nurse, what time is it?"

Oh God, Anna knew that voice. She looked over. Hans. Or Doctor South, as she had first known him. They had dated for a couple months, even gotten engaged, then he cheated on her. Well, it was a little more complicated than that. Either way, he was watching her impatiently, waiting for an answer.

"Time for you to get a watch" she responded. "And you should definitely know my name by now."

"Ugh, do I have to do everything around here?" he sighed, exasperated, walking back outside to check the on the other side of the doorway.

Anna's stomach muscles released. She sighed. At least she didn't make a fool of herself this time.

"Nice one" Rapunzel said at the other table. Anna smiled.

"Just glad I didn't stutter" she replied. She immediately cursed inwardly, and turned back to her food. Geez, how awkward could she get in one day? At least Rapunzel was sitting next to Eugene. They had been married for a couple of years already, and still lovey-dovey together. It wasn't extreme, but Anna has walked in on some of their more passionate kisses.

"I wish I had their kind of a relationship" Anna sighed.

"Then you really need to go after Doctor Sleet!" Kristoff exclaimed.

Anna blushed when she realized she spoke aloud. She took another bite of sticky rice. "How am I supposed to do that?" Before Kristoff said anything, she spoke again. "I don't want advice yet, just let me wallow in self-pity for a while longer."

Kristoff sighed. "I hate seeing you like this. Please tell me you won't convince yourself to never go for her."

"But she's such a cool person! I'm awkward, loud, annoying, stupid, and she's such…" Anna tried to make herself stop from rambling. It only worked a little. "I hate this. I feel like such a creep, because I'm so obsessed. And what if I'm building up expectations that she shouldn't have to meet?"

"How about you start by having an actual conversation with her? You could talk with her about stuff in the break room."

"But what do I talk about?"

"I don't have all the answers! Just start talking to her!"

Anna wanted to put her face on the table, but she instead put a bite of carrot and peas in her mouth. She chewed for a moment before speaking. "You're not helping much."

Kristoff laughed through his nose. "Well, I could be talking to her for you."

Anna just groaned at the thought. That made Kristoff laugh. But he didn't know what he looked like when he was trying to be a wingman. Anna had tried taking him to a few bars and clubs in the past couple months, and the results were almost disastrous. He was legitimately banned from one night club on the other side of the city. It wasn't too bad, really, but he had a hard time hearing the girls and guys that Anna told him to talk up, and he would stand really close. Like, really close. Then he'd try to get closer to hear them tell him to get away. It was pretty messy.

"Don't even think about it" Anna told, and sighed.

Jasmine walked by, and waved to Anna. "Hi" Anna said back. Jasmine sat next to Aurora and Ariel, and Doctor Fa. Anna remembered when she had a major crush on Doctor Fa. They'd even managed to go out on a couple dates, but then Mulan said they couldn't be girlfriends, because they worked in the same hospital.

Now that she thought about it, wouldn't it be problematic to date Doctor Sleet? It wasn't like they saw each other often, and they probably had few friends in common, but it could still get in the way.

'No, that sounds more like an excuse' she thought. Damn. Well, she could keep thinking of reasons to avoid Doctor Sleet, or she could try to figure out some sort of a plan.

Thing is, she'd never been very good at planning. Things were either planned by someone else, or they were spontaneous. Maybe Doctor Sleet wouldn't like that about her, and so Anna shouldn't try to-

No, that's another excuse. Plus, that's not very positive. Anna had to be upbeat, that was one of her redeeming qualities. Okay, planning. She could do this. What kind of date should they go on? The art museum seemed like a good idea. But were there any art museums nearby? Should she pick up Doctor Sleet? Should they go together after work? When would be a good time?

Anna took a deep breath. Okay, time to calm down. Maybe they could just go together after work the day after Anna asked her. That would probably be polite, and Anna wanted to go on the date as soon as was tactful.

"I can see the gears turning in your head. What are you thinking?"

"I want to take her to an art museum, and I'm thinking through a plan."

"Do you want to take her to that one near the Arendelle town center?"

Anna furrowed her eyebrows at him. She was glad he knew a place, but she was still suspicious. "Why do you know that?"

"Oh, I, uh, I used to date an art fanatic. It was nursing school, and she all she did was go to class and make paintings. She agreed with her parents that she would work as a nurse, and still try to sell her art."

"So where is it near the town center?"

"Oh, not far. Maybe a ten-minute drive, or a 30 minute walk from here. There's a shortcut you can take to walk."

"Really?"

"Yea, it's that weird path behind that old bench, the one that's almost completely rotten?"

Anna could picture that exact pathway. It wasn't paved, and she'd seen it a couple times with plenty of roots in the pathway. She scrunched her face. Plus, if Anna took Elsa down that path, it would probably creep her out even more. Especially if they went after work. She shook her head at Kristoff. "That just sounds like a bad idea."

"But you don't have a car."

Anna sighed. He was right. A drunk driver had totaled her last car during a night shift. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but her insurance wouldn't cover everything. "And taxis are too expensive. And it would be so lame to take the bus."

"You could borrow my car for the evening" he suggested.

"Ew, no, your car is nasty." She'd ridden in it only once, and it was a horrible experience. Moldy French fries, used tissues, a half-eaten banana, and even a wet towel. He wouldn't say the story behind the wet towel. "Worst case scenario, I could clean it out for you."

"Hey, I don't want you going through my car!"

"Then clean out the stuff you don't want me to see!" There were probably a thousand creepy-crawlies inside that car, feeding on crusts of toast and spilled coffee. God, that would be embarrassing. Maybe the taxi would be the best option. Oh dear, that already put the cost of the date really high. "How much is it to get into the museum?"

"I don't know. She had an annual pass, and knew everyone who worked there, so I could just walk in."

Ugh. Now she'd have to look up the price. Why did planning have to be so hard? She just wanted a date to go well, was that too hard?

Even when she got home that day, she still didn't know what to do. Online, it said that it cost about $15 per person, so that already put her total at $30. And then the cost for a taxi would be around $20. She just simply couldn't afford a $50 date. Well, sure, she could save up, but then she might lose steam, or chicken out, or Doctor Sleet might end up moving away suddenly, or dying in a car crash.

Anna sighed, and put her head on her desk. She couldn't ask her parents for help on this, she was a grown woman. 24 years old already. Old enough to stress about bills and pay her own rent. She could work extra hours at the hospital, but that didn't sound pleasant. Still, it might be the only way.

Would there be another art museum that was closer? Maybe they could walk together, and she'd save on the taxi. She opened her laptop again, and began searching for 'art museums Arendelle'. Of course, the one that Kristoff had suggested was at the top of the list, but the second result seemed appealing. The summary said it had opened this last summer, and specifically showed sculptures. That sounded interesting. According to the website, the cost was actually cheaper than the one near the town center. And this one was, according to Google Maps, only a 15 minute walk.

Anna sighed, and smiled. Maybe this was possible.

But it would definitely take a lot more than a plan to be able to make it go smoothly.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Haha, get it? Sleet? It's when it's raining, snowing and hailing at the same time?**

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Doctor Elsa Sleet sipped on her peppermint tea. She liked the cool taste, it woke her up in the morning better than coffee. She looked at the calendar on her fridge. Thursday. Well, the week wouldn't be over until Friday, and she didn't have anything planned for the weekend. Nothing new there. Sunday was her uncle's birthday, and she'd already sent him a gift in the mail. He lived in Canada, with the rest of her family. It had always been cold up there, and she missed it at times. At least it snowed in the Arendelle winters, and she could still get to work without digging her car out each day.

But it was spring. The birds would chirp and the rain replaced snow and the allergies made each morning a hell.

The clock said 5:50 am. She sighed, and rinsed her mug, and put it in the sink. Time for work.

Her office wasn't large, even though she was the head surgeon. But it was large enough for her to comfortably eat lunch alone, and do her paperwork. She could do that. There were certainly things in her life she couldn't do, but this she could do.

Surgeries were also easy. She didn't have to talk to anyone, just read some paperwork and then fix their problem. This was something she could do. Help people without having to talk to them.

A knock on her office door surprised her. She put down her pen, and walked up to the door. It was a well-dressed female, maybe around 30 and tall. Very tall.

"Hi Doctor Sleet! I wanted to thank you personally for your surgery on my stomach. You may have actually saved my life. I was having such a hard time eating anything, I may not have lasted much longer." She laughed. Was that supposed to be funny?

"Oh. No problem." Doctor Sleet shook the woman's outstretched hand.

"Would you like to go out for lunch next week? I'd love to get to know you better."

No. Elsa had to avoid any more contact with this woman. How honestly should she say that? "I can't, sorry. Remind me of your name, though." Okay, that wasn't too bad. She just distracted her after a denial, so there shouldn't be a need for an excuse.

"Yolanda Cooper. Well, I've got to run. I'll have to talk to you later!" She smiled, and waved.

Elsa tried to do the same, but it probably looked awkward on her face. When she got back into her office, she pulled out the mirror from her drawer. Then she tried to smile again.

"Ugh" she sighed, putting it back in its spot and putting her head in her hands. Elsa hated that she couldn't maintain a normal conversation or facial expression with anyone. She hated that she couldn't feel comfortable with anyone long enough to say something meaningful. It was hard to go up to someone and strike up the conversation. It was even harder, though, when someone walked up to her and tried to strike up a conversation.

"There's just no winning with you, is there?" "And you talk to yourself, like that will solve the problem."

God, it was so hard to even talk to herself. She reached over to her phone, and began to play some classical music. As a child, her parents would play a lot of Bach, Mozart, Debussy, Beethoven, and the like. It would constantly be playing on the speakers of a CD player in the living room. It reminded her of home, without reminding her of her parents.

Elsa sighed. Okay. Paperwork. She could do this. The pen in her hand shook, but she ignored it, and managed to work for two straight hours.

Her phone's alert went off, telling her that she had a surgery scheduled to begin in 20 minutes. Okay. She could do this. The assistants and anesthesiologists would already be there, since they knew how strict Elsa was. It made her feel like an asshole, to insist that other people be on time. She liked a schedule. She didn't like delays or excuses. And that made her feel like more of an asshole.

"Hello Doctor Sleet" a few of the resident doctors said to her. She forgot to wave back, or smile, until she was passed them. Shoot, Elsa, you messed up. They probably felt so awkward, since she had maintained eye contact while thinking of how to respond.

Elsa took a deep breath while she washed her hands. Okay. This surgery was going to be a bit complicated and risky, but she could do it. She could make this patient survive the day.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Sleet" Elsa said, with her routine smile and handshake. "Do you have any questions?"

The patient was a 52-year old male. Born and raised in India. He must have an interesting life. "I just have one request. If I don't make it, find someone who can tell my daughter that I forgive her."

"Why is that?" one of the assistants in the room asked. Elsa wanted to roll her eyes at the cliche of this moment. Still, she shouldn't interrupt it, since the man might not have that chance to talk to his daughter. It wasn't her business.

"Well, ever since she has told me that she was gay, I have never spoken to her. I understand now that she has a nice American wife, and two children... I should never have shut out the happiness I could have had with them."

The assistant nodded, and spoke with him further. Elsa double-checked the operating room. Everything seemed ready.

The man was given the anesthesia, and quickly became unconscious.

But he didn't wake up.

It was a stupid mistake of hers. Really, really stupid. She should have had the defibrillator closer, or used a higher charge sooner, or began with CPR instead of the defibrillator. Just changing one thing, and he would still be alive. But his time of death was 8:34 am.

Elsa sat down outside the operating room. He'd never get to speak to his daughter, and it was her fault. Maybe he had never really forgiven her, and died hating himself for it. He died scared, under her hand.

No, she couldn't start thinking like that. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't anyone's fault, and no one should feel guilty. That was what her counselor told her, on the very first appointment she went to last week.

"Doctor Sleet, we're ready for the next patient."

"Alright." She sighed, and stood up. Maybe she needed to schedule another appointment with that counselor. But, for now, she needed to fix this person. This one needed help with shoulder muscles. Okay. Easy enough.

And this one survived. And so did the next two. As she walked into the last surgery scheduled for today, she just hoped that the day had simply started off badly.

When she sat down outside the operating room, she sighed in relief. The patient made it. _She_ made it. One death today. It wasn't perfect, though, so tomorrow, she'd have to try harder. Pay more attention. Be more prepared. Just whatever it took to save a life.

The clock said it was already 5 pm. God. It's already been 12 hours since she first woke up. Her hair was hurting her head, and her hands were shaking. If only she was still in college, where she could comfortably take a nap in the afternoon, just to make it through the rest of the day. Elsa walked slowly to her office, letting herself be tired. 'You really should be used to this by now. You've been head surgeon for, what, 18 months already?'

She wanted to lock herself in her office, but that would be bothersome if there was an emergency. She opened her drawer, and began to eat her usual evening snack: chocolate. Thank goodness for chocolate. Sweet, sugary and just a little bit of caffeine. And she usually had a strawberry yogurt with it, so that the calories didn't leave as soon as they came.

Her pager beeped as soon as she opened her yogurt. She quickly put it back in the fridge, and looked at the message. Her eyes widened. Then she ran to the operating room. Double coronary artery bypass surgery. She hated this type of surgery the most, but she was still the best at it in this hospital.

She quickly washed her hands, gloved up, and asked the doctors for information. They answered quickly. She finally walked into the dark room, and began. She didn't even look at the person she was cutting up.

But she did look when the surgery was over. It was a success. Thank God. The patient was an older woman, maybe in her mid-40's. Lines on her face. Lots around the mouth, mostly a result of smiling. Her hair was dark brown. Her eyes were still closed.

Elsa went to the bathroom after she finished cleaning up. It was already 8:45. God, she was hungry. Thankfully, the director said she could head home afterwards. The bathroom lights flickered, and she looked at herself in the mirror. Today was a good day. But it was definitely time for a long night of sleep.

When she walked out, she almost bumped into a redheaded nurse. "Sorry" they said at the same time. The redhead giggled.

"Sorry. You're Doctor Sleet, right?"

"Yes." Why was the nurse asking her questions? It was so late. She just wanted to go home.

"Well, I was, uh, wondering" she was avoiding eye contact and scratching the back of her neck. "I mean, I wanted to know if you'd like to go to the Sculpture Museum sometime. No, not sometime. Tomorrow night. I mean, if that works for you." Now she was looking at the ground, like she did something wrong.

Elsa was surprised. Was she asking her out? On a date? "Oh, I..." how was she supposed to react? Did she want to go?

Well, no, she definitely didn't want to go. And she didn't have to go. But she had already turned down someone today. No, that didn't have anything to do with this nurse. Plus, they worked in the same place. Wouldn't that make things awkward, and be risky for everyone in the hospital?

Still, the redhead was really cute. Elsa had always loved freckles. "Uh, sure!" Elsa surprised herself. Did she just agree? "I, um, have to check my schedule, but I think I'm working until 5 tomorrow."

"Oh, I was thinking of 6:30, s-since that's when I get off."

"Okay! Yeah, I can do paperwork, or, um, yeah. 6:30 sounds fine."

"I'm Anna, by the way. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself" she laughed, and held out her hand. Elsa shook her hand. It was warm.

"Nice to meet you, Anna." Their hands let go. "So, um, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at 6:30?"

"Yeah! Let's meet out front, okay?"

"Sounds good." Elsa even managed to smile.

"Awesome! I'll, uh, see you tomorrow evening." Anna waved, and walked on.

Elsa's stomach growled, reminding her to get back to her office. As she walked, she thought about the redheaded nurse. Anna. Why in the hell did she say yes to the date? Oh yea, the freckles.

What did Anna like about her, though? Elsa was pale, and her chin was too sharp, and her nose was incredibly tiny, and her eyebrows were thin, and she looked horrible without makeup. And when her hair was left down, it was messy and her bangs always tried to get into her eyes, so she had to push them back, and after long enough, they would look really greasy because she pushed them back too much.

Anna didn't know the least bit about her. She didn't know about how depressed and melancholy Elsa was all the time. Anna probably didn't need her drama or incapability or sadness. Who wanted to deal with depression, especially _Elsa's_ depression? Maybe Elsa should just tell Anna she couldn't go on the date after all, or maybe someone else would need a coronary artery bypass surgery when they were supposed to meet.

Elsa turned on her classical music, and got her yogurt back out. This time, the door was locked. She started on her paperwork again.

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	3. Chapter 3

**I'm not a doctor, so I'm only basing my knowledge of hospitals on Scrubs and Wikipedia. Apologies for the long chapter.  
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She did it. Anna did it. She actually managed to get through a conversation with Doctor Sleet. She hardly stumbled on her words, though it was pretty bad at first. That night, Anna went to bed giddy, with a hint of nervous. Tomorrow was Friday, so would there be a lot of people at the museum? Was Doctor Sleet comfortable in crowds? What if she got claustrophobic, and had an anxiety attack?

Anna turned over in bed, and tried to avoid thinking like that. The date tomorrow will probably go fine. She had a later shift tomorrow, so she could sleep in. That would certainly help with her tendency to be scatterbrained. The date will probably be fine. Just as long as she didn't say or do anything stupid.

Well, that was impossible to do. So what was a reasonable goal? Make Doctor Sleet feel comfortable? No, Anna would probably start acting even more awkward. She definitely didn't want to rush anything with this gorgeous woman. Last time she rushed a relationship, there was a lot of tissues and Netflix. Maybe she should just aim to maintain normal conversation. Maybe talk more about Doctor Sleet than herself. Yeah, that was something she could do. Probably.

Wait, should they go out for dinner first? No, they never mentioned anything about dinner. Maybe they could go out for dessert afterwards. No, but then Anna would be obliged to pay, since she was the one who asked her out in the first place. Maybe just something cheap. Anna could make it herself, so it was a little more personal.

Fudge. Anna sat up in bed, and decided that fudge was a great treat. She ran to her kitchen, got out the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, and got to work. Thankfully, the recipe only took 10 minutes total. She tasted it, you know, to 'test' it. Perfect. She put the pan in the fridge, and jumped back into her warm bed.

Wait, but what if Doctor Sleet doesn't like fudge? What if she was lactose-intolerant, or hated chocolate? Anna pulled out her phone, and stared at Google. What kind of dessert involved no chocolate or milk? Something fruity, probably. Anna's favorite was lemon bars. Maybe there were lemon bar recipes that would be easy enough. But there weren't any recipes that were quick. And she didn't want to get up again.

With a sigh, she set her alarm for half an hour earlier. That would give her time to prep the lemon bars, and she could get ready while they bake. But what if she was over-planning?

She took a deep breath. Worst case scenario, Anna would have some extra desserts in her fridge. She could probably take some over to her neighbors or something. Either way, it would all be fine.

The next morning, it didn't quite _feel_ fine, but somehow, the lemon bars turned out okay. Anna cut up the fudge, put it on a cute little paper plate, and wrapped it up. She did the same with the lemon bars.

And work went alright. She stuffed her street clothes in the locker, and placed the desserts on top. Mr. Weasleton was still hitting on Sandy, and Sandy kept reading her book. Little Mindy was adorable, as always. There were a new pair of teenage twins, a boyish girl and a girlish boy, who kept making inappropriate jokes. It made Anna laugh quite a bit, but she still had to tell them to quiet down.

Before she knew it, it was already 6:00. With that realization, her stomach dropped. She almost lost track of the heart rate she was counting. Wow. Their date was in half an hour. Okay. She could do this. Doctor Sleet was probably a pretty normal human being, who would laugh if Anna managed to tell a joke, or ask questions and answer properly.

Anna thought through some standard questions. 'Where you from?' 'What's your favorite food?' 'What kind of books do you read?' 'Do you speak a second language?' She took another deep breath.

Finally, her shift ended. She placed the patient's clipboard on the end of their bed, and hurried to the locker room. She changed quickly into her jeans, t-shirt that said 'Home is where the pants aren't', and her cardigan sweater. The fudge and lemon bars looked safe. Anna quickly checked her hair, and dashed to the front door. Doctor Sleet was already there, in normal clothes. And if she had looked hot in scrubs, she looked smoking in regular clothes.

"Hello Anna!" Doctor Sleet said to her, smiling. God, her smile was so pretty.

"Hi Doctor Sleet" Anna replied. They were facing each other, like neither knew what to do next.

"I-I think you can call me Elsa. We're going out, not to a meeting."

Anna laughed. "Okay. I, um, made you a treat, _Elsa_." She held out both of the little paper plates. "Take your pick."

"Aw, you didn't have to do that for me." She was smiling again.

"No, it really was my pleasure." Well, it wasn't so much of a pleasure when the crust of the lemon bars was taking forever to bake, and she needed to finish getting ready. "I wasn't sure which you'd like better, so I just made both."

"Well, I love chocolate, so I guess I'll have this." Doctor Sleet's hands reached for the fudge. They were so pale, but so smooth. "Thank you so much."

"Oh, it was really no problem. I should give you the recipe sometime."

Elsa picked up a small piece in her hand. "There's no way I'd be able to make this. I've never baked anything in my life."

"The recipe is actually really easy! It took, like, ten minutes last night."

"Oh, wow."

"Like I said, pretty darn easy. Then again, I make it every weekend, so it may be a little longer, but there's no baking involved."

"Well, I'd love to learn."

It was quiet for a bit. Anna cursed in her head, and looked at her shoes. Darn, and they were doing so well for a while there.

Elsa spoke first. Anna looked back up, and Elsa had taken a bite. "Oh my goodness! I really like this."

"Yay! That's a relief. I was worried for a second there."

Elsa laughed. "So, you said we were going to a sculpture museum?"

"Oh, right! Yea, it's just like a 10 minute walk away." Anna had made sure to memorize the route in her head. Thankfully, Elsa wasn't wearing heels, so her feet wouldn't hurt. "Shall we go?" Anna tried another smile. Elsa smiled back.

"I'd love to."

Anna thanked heaven that everything was going well so far. She put the lemon bars in her bag, and walked out the door with Doctor Sleet. Okay, what did she do now? What would Kristoff tell her to do right now? 'Complliment her!'

"I've always liked your hair, by the way" Anna managed to say. Doctor Sleet looked at her like she was confused.

"Why? It looks like I'm already old and withered."

"No!" How on earth could Doctor Sleet think that? "You're hair is gorgeous! It's so thick, and I love how light it is, and it's always done up so prettily."

Doctor Sleet laughed. "Well, I don't think you'd say that if you ever say it loose. It's a complete mess."

"I doubt that. I bet it's absolutely beautiful, just like the rest of you."

Elsa kept walking, but she was looking at the ground and smiling. It took a moment of silence, and Anna questioning if she was too forward, before she spoke again. "Thank you. I've never gotten compliments often."

"Well, everyone else is a idiot for missing that opportunity." Anna smiled at her. Maybe she was being too forward, but at least Elsa wasn't running away and calling her a creep.

"Thank you." She smiled at her again. Anna loved that smile. "So, um, do you normally go to art museums?"

Anna shrugged, and avoided eye contact. "Not really. I just wanted to try it, you know. You seemed like the type to like artsy stuff. You're so classy and smart, and stuff." Wow, way to lose steam Anna.

"Well, I don't really go to museums, but I did have a roommate in college who majored in art history, and there were a lot of paintings that I liked that were posted on her wall."

Oh, now's a good time to ask one of those standard questions. "What school did you go to?"

"Stanford."

"Woah." And for med school, nonetheless. She knew Doctor Sleet was smart, but holy crap.

"Yeah, my parents wanted me to go there, but I hated it. It was so hot in California for most of the year."

"Yeah! Especially when compared to here. Arendelle is _so_ rainy." Dammit, she didn't want to talk about the weather. Salvage it! "Did you grow up here?"

"No. I grew up in Quebec. We would get a lot more snow than here, but then it would also be warmer in the summer."

"Is that the French part of Canada?" Anna probably sounded ignorant right now. She shouldn't have asked that question.

She nodded. "Yes, I learned French, but I was home schooled, since my parents didn't like the school system."

"Oh." Anna used to make fun of home schooled kids. "I, uh..." Think of a normal question, dammit! "What was your favorite subject growing up?"

"Probably math. I liked numbers. What about you?"

"I think I liked music a lot, but I grew out of that after middle school band." Anna laughed at some of the memories. "Goodness, it's embarrassing to think about how dorky I must've looked back then, with red hair and tons of freckles and braces and a clarinet. I used to spend all day outside during the summers, and the freckles would stay all year."

Elsa laughed a little. "My parents made me play the piano growing up, and the violin. It's stereotypical of upper-class families, I know."

"Oh, my parents made me practice growing up to! Although, I begged them to stop after 5th grade, and started band." Anna felt like the conversation was getting forced. Did she have another conversation topic? Um, she could ask about the music Elsa listened to. "What kind of music do you listen to?"

"I, uh, it's mostly classical music, and some soundtrack music from movies."

"What kind of movies?"

"Mostly historical and Shakespeare ones. Like Elizabeth I: The Golden Age, or Much Ado About Nothing, Les Miserables, Schindler's List."

"What's your favorite?"

"Gandhi, probably." Interesting choice. "What about yours?"

"Hm." Elsa listed a bunch of classy ones, so romantic comedies would seem silly. But what other movies did she watch? "Footloose!" It was the first thing that came into her mind. "The one with Kevin Bacon in it. Love it."

Anna smiled, hoping this wasn't as awkward as she felt. "So where did you grow up?" Elsa asked. She thanked whatever god in heaven that the silence was over.

"Not far from here. I grew up just a couple towns over. It's pretty weird, since I'll sometimes pass by some nostalgic places. But I do get to see my family on holidays, which is nice."

"Oh, do you have any siblings?"

"No, but I grew up with my cousin Rapunzel, and Eugene lived just down the street. It was all a lot of fun, but they were both older than me. What about you, do you have any siblings?"

"No" she shook her head. "It's funny, because I'll keep reading articles online about the benefits of having siblings. They mostly mention better social capabilities in younger siblings, and it makes me wish I wasn't an only child."

"Well, I tell you now, I wish I didn't grow up with those two goofballs. They were so crazy, and they sometimes made life a hell. Especially when they were in junior high. Even more when _I_ was in junior high." God, they Eugene would always forget Anna had really bad acne and braces, and then occasionally poke fun at her. Rapunzel would make him stop immediately. All Anna wanted to do during those days was have real friends, but that wasn't the reality.

"I keep hearing about how junior high was worse than high school for most kids. Why is that?"

"High school wasn't a ball either, but at least there were other dorks like me there, unlike junior high."

"Ah, that makes sense."

"How did you like being home schooled?"

"I...it was lonely. I didn't like it, and I felt out-of-place when I got to college. So I ended up constantly studying, since I didn't know how to talk to others."

"Were you scared or anxious about being social?" Anna had read online about social anxiety, and how common it was nowadays.

She just shrugged. "I guess. I mean, I just...I always felt like spending time with others was a waste of time, since I could never make any friends."

"Did it get any better after college?" Shoot, Anna, you're overstepping the normal boundaries of other people.

Elsa chuckled. "No, it hasn't. You're the first person I've talked with beyond small talk...It's a weird feeling."

"Goodness!" She knew that Elsa wasn't a social person, but...good golly.

"Yeah, I've got it bad." Elsa wasn't looking at her.

There was another awkward silence. What was another standard question. Come on, think Anna. "Why did you decide on being a surgeon?" There, that was a safe question.

"Oh, I wanted to help people, but I knew that I would be bad at anything social, so being a surgeon seemed perfect."

"How do you like it?"

"It's a good way to spend the day, saving someone's life, or making someone's life better." Elsa was smiling again. Anna wished Elsa would look back over at her.

"I'm kind of the same way, except I'm not nearly smart enough for being a doctor or surgeon. Plus, I don't think my family would have been able to afford that amount of schooling."

"You're also very good at making other people feel comfortable" Elsa added.

"What? No, I'm much too awkward for that."

"Well, you see me talking to you readily enough. That takes some amount of talent." Elsa chuckled again. Anna blushed.

"Thank you. Though, sometimes I have to deal with much less pleasant people than yourself." Wow. That was smooth as hell, right there.

"Are some patients that bad?"

Oh did she have some stories. "There was one patient who insisted I refer to her as mistress." That made Elsa smile. "Another one kept telling me he was allergic to peanut butter, and that he wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. And you know the typical excuses for unspeakable things up someone's butt."

"I don't understand that last one. Do tell." Elsa was smiling, and Anna tried to think of how to explain it. God, this was going to be uncomfortable.

"Well, 'some people get pretty freaky when they're lonely, and then pretend it was an accident' was how one of my professors explained it. He wasn't wrong, let's just say that. One girl who had a lint roller stuck up there. Said that she sat down on her chair just after getting out of the shower."

Elsa began laughing hard. Like, really, really hard. She had stopped on the sidewalk, and was bent over laughing. The sound was pretty, but Anna was wondering why she was laughing so hard. At least she found the story humorous.

"You realize I was kidding" Elsa said between laughs.

Anna began to blush. "Oh..." Sometimes she couldn't tell when people were being sarcastic. It was a side effect of growing up with Eugene around. "I, uh..."

"Sorry, that was a really bad trick to play on you" Elsa said, her laughter calming down. "I apologize."

"No, it's fine! I'm just glad you were laughing so much." She was also glad Elsa was comfortable enough to laugh that much.

As they got to the museum, they were laughing more and more. Anna learned that Elsa's favorite book was Jane Eyre, her least favorite food was anything with cilantro in it, and she had entered college as a 16-year old. No wonder she was the head surgeon and so young.

"Well, that museum was a lot of fun. Thank you so much." They were walking back in the dark, not many other people aro7nd. It was only 8:30, though, so it wasn't exactly late.

"Yeah, I'm glad I got the recommendation, and I'm glad you came with me." Anna smiled at the platinum-blonde woman.

Elsa laughed. "Well, I'm glad some crazy delusion came over me and made me say yes. It was the best idea I've had in a long time."

"So, which sculpture did you like best? How about the Crawdad?" Anna said, smiling at her.

"Oh goodness, don't make me think of that monstrosity. I liked everything but that." The Crawdad was a mess of dried mud, animal carcasses and a giant lobster-looking thing standing on top. It was incredibly disgusting. "My favorite would probably be the neo-classical one. The one without the prominent phallus."

"Phallus?"

"It's another word the the male genitalia."

"Oh!" Anna began laughing. There were some pretty ridiculous penises in there, and they had both seen some pretty ridiculous male parts in their careers.

"Oh, wait." Anna stopped walking, staring at the street sign above her head. She needed 134th to get back to the hospital, and they were on 135th. Did they pass it already? She looked behind her, and saw correct street. "This way!" Anna grabbed Elsa's hand, and pulled her along.

"You sure you know where your going? It's pretty dark." Elsa was laughing.

"Of course! I was so nervous last night, I memorized the route so we wouldn't get lost. I think I've actually lost myself inside a gas station before, and getting lost was the last thing I wanted to happen."

Elsa laughed again. They turned onto 134th, and had to avoid a couple other pedestrians. Let's see, they were about halfway there now. But it was so dang cold outside. Her nose was already starting to run. "I'm so sorry it's so cold, but we're halfway there."

"I used to live in Canada. The cold doesn't bother me. Plus, I've got such a warm hand holding mine."

"Oh!" Anna had forgotten she was holding Elsa's hand. Anna usually grabbed and held onto hands when she got excited or nervous, and right now, she was definitely both. "Do you want me to let it go?"

She shook her head. "I...this is the first time someone has held my hand, and I'm trying to decide how much I like it."

First time? Has she never been in a relationship? Anna tried smiling at her. Smiling always helps people feel comfortable, right? "Well, I'm glad I have the honor, and you're welcome to test again. You know, every experiment needs three trials." When did Anna get that smooth?

Elsa laughed. God, her laugh was pretty. The parking lot of the hospital was in sight now. Anna didn't want to the date to be over. "Careful. You're setting the bar up pretty high for yourself. This is only our first date."

Anna had to step a bit closer to Elsa, to avoid another pedestrian. Quick, say something smooth. "You should see me on a second date."

"You know, I think I'd love that." Elsa smiled. "What do you say I pick a date for us for tomorrow night?"

Anna was giddy on the inside. "I would love that!" She couldn't help the hugest smile on her face her mouth could manage. They were at the edge of the parking lot now, and stopped.

"Well, give me your phone real quick. I'll send a text to me from your phone, so we each have each others' numbers."

"That sounds great!" Anna didn't want to let go of Elsa's hand, but she had to dig around in her bag. Her palm felt cold in the open air, but she found the phone quickly, and handed it to Elsa. She didn't take long before handing it back.

"There you go! I'll call you in the morning." Elsa sighed, and looked over at her car. Did she want to leave? Was she in a hurry? Elsa looked back at Anna, with those huge, beautiful blue eyes. They were smiling. "Thank you so much for tonight. I had a lot of fun."

Anna grabbed Elsa's hand, the one she was holding earlier. It was still warm. Anna was looking at Elsa's eyes, and kissed her pale hand. This was a total impulse, but it felt right. Well, it probably felt right because she's seen it countless romance movies.

Elsa might have sucked in a breath just then.

"Thank you for spending your evening with me." Damn, Anna, you're smooth as silk tonight. She let her hand down, and smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll, uh, see you too." Oh god, she was stuttering. You're such a playa Anna. Keep your cool.

"Bye!" She smiled and waved. Elsa waved back. Anna walked away to get to her bus stop, and waited until she got to around the corner before she jumped in the air, pumped her fists and did a little dance. She was going to see the most beautiful woman on the planet again tomorrow.

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**Here's that 10 minute fudge recipe (not mine):  
**

**Heat up 2 cups of chocolate chips with 1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan on low. Once melted, take off heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix in random other things, like peppermint candy, pecans or white chocolate chips. Pour into a foil-lined 8"x8" pan, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Done.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Forgive the lateness, but here's the next chapter!**

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Elsa sat alone in her car, just staring at the wheel. Anna was walking away, with that happy little step of hers. For a while there, Elsa had forgotten about the angst and depression. Forgotten. Completely forgotten. Anna had chased away the awkwardness that surrounded her. Anna had stopped the crippling self-doubt, dark thoughts, the anxiety. It was the first time in a long while that she had experienced that.

Anna was amazing.

Elsa realized her face was still smiling. She began to laugh, mostly out of relief. With Anna, she wasn't sad. The world felt so much lighter. She felt tears well up in her eyes. There was some hope. The depression hadn't consumed her completely, and it could be driven away for some time.

She stared at her hand in her lap, the one that Anna had held. Sure, her parents held her hands when she was a child, but that was so long ago. Not that Anna's hand made her feel like a child, but rather...safe. Like she was wrapped up in a warm blanket with a cup of hot chocolate in her hands.

Oh goodness, Anna was a perfect human being. Her smile was gorgeous, and she smiled often. Even the image in Elsa's head made her smile, like Anna was right in front of her. Her laugh was just as beautiful, and she laughed just as often. And she was funny. Elsa hadn't laughed that much and that hard in...ever. She had never laughed that much. Anna said the most hilarious things at the most unexpected moments. And she _liked_ Elsa.

Is this what having a friend was like? Oh crap, what if Anna was just a friend? What if Anna just wanted to be friends with her? Was Elsa misinterpreting her actions?

Then she remembered the kiss on her hand, and blushed. No, Anna didn't just want to be friends.

Wait...but they...they were both girls. Anna was a wonderful, happy, gorgeous woman, yes, but Elsa was also female. Sure, she knew that homosexual couples were common enough nowadays that only an extremely opinionated few actually cared.

Elsa had never really been attracted to anyone before. This was definitely uncharted waters. Was Elsa truly attracted to women? Or was she just so inexperienced that she wouldn't know the difference? Anna was probably homosexual, or bisexual. She knew that about herself. Or maybe Elsa was misinterpreting that too. But Anna definitely called tonight a date, and wanted a second date.

Elsa started the car, and began to drive. What if Anna just called any outing a date? That might be a term Elsa hadn't heard before in that context. Or maybe Anna _was_ intending this to be a date. What then? Should she ask? No, that sounds unreasonable. That would make her sound stupid.

She could tell her thinking was starting to turn negative. It was a shame that Anna had to go. She was so good at making the bad thoughts go away.

At least she could see Anna again tomorrow. What should she plan for that date? They could go out for dinner. Or Anna could come over to her condo and teach her the recipe for that fudge. (Speaking of which, she needed to put the rest of it in the fridge before she went to bed.) They could watch a movie, that was something normal people did together. But what movie? Anna said she liked musicals, so was there a musical movie that she hadn't seen? Oh, was there a musical anywhere that was showing tomorrow?

Elsa got home, and stared at her computer, searching for options. The high school didn't have a musical until next month. The local theater just finished theirs. Dammit. Elsa searched for comedy shows, coming up with similar results. Nothing for stand-up comedians or improv shows, but those would be highly explicit anyways. "Ugh" she sighed.

Maybe they should just stay in. But what else would they do? Elsa could make dinner with her. That might be romantic. What should they make, though? Preferably something easy. Elsa usually had something with meat for dinner, like fish or turkey. Pastas would be a safe choice, very few people hated those. Elsa knew how to make homemade Alfredo sauce. Would Anna like some of the homemade sushi she could make? That would be fun to do together. Maybe she should ask Anna which she'd prefer when she called her tomorrow.

Speaking of which, Elsa needed to eat. She hadn't had dinner yet, but she was so nervous. Maybe she didn't need to. Plus, the fudge was probably plenty of calories. She could probably do fine with just a quick snack. There were protein bars in the cupboard. She wrinkled her nose, thinking of the awful taste, but chose one anyway. There had to be protein bars that tasted better.

Elsa showered and dried her hair like always, but kept thinking about Anna. Even when she was lying in bed, she kept thinking about the date tomorrow. Why on earth did Anna want to be dating her? She was such a happy person, and Elsa didn't exactly...exhibit similar behaviors. There was some article online that talked about how bad it was for relationships if the man and woman were complete opposites. It led to complete incompatibility.

But...Anna and Elsa were both women.

Elsa had never felt homosexual before. Sexuality didn't change over one's lifetime, as far as she knew. Then again, she had never even considered dating _anyone_ until yesterday. She can't be attracted to women all of a sudden. That's not how sexuality worked. Anna was the first person she had ever been attracted to. Did that make her Anna-sexual?

The thought made Elsa chuckle. Then she sighed. Ugh, what should she do? Just keep going with it? Anna may or may not be gay, but she was definitely attracted to Elsa for whatever reason. Could Elsa do the same thing? Was that okay to do? What if this was all just a joke, or a dream, or an experiment?

'No, stop thinking like that, Elsa.' She turned over in bed to be on her other side.

Her therapist suggested that she start thinking about something random if her thoughts were turning too negative. What else should she think about? Her mind was blank, except for the awareness that her anxious thoughts could creep back so easily. Something not-depressing. What about...shopping? Groceries. She would have to buy groceries for dinner tomorrow. Yeah, depending on what Anna chooses, she'd either have to go to the Asian market or to the grocery store.

When she woke up the next morning, her thoughts didn't feel as obsessed. They still centered around Anna, and her freckles, and her laugh, and her hair, and that kiss... Would that be considered Elsa's first kiss? Sure, it wasn't a mouth kiss, but it did feel just as...personal.

Oh no, how were people supposed to kiss? She'd never had any experience. Was it supposed to feel natural? Should she practice? Were there tutorials? How would she know when they were supposed to kiss? Was she supposed to put on chapstick right before, or about an hour before? But how would she know when they were supposed to kiss? What if she was wearing lipstick? What if...Anna was wearing...lipstick?

That's right, they were both girls. Elsa certainly liked to be around her, but was _that_ enough to declare her sexuality? Should she just try to be friends with Anna? Would she make a mistake by becoming Anna's girlfriend? Would she ruin a potential, and very needed friendship if she started to date her? Why did Anna like her anyways?

The date! Right, the date, she needs to call Anna about the date. Elsa found her phone, and found her number. All she needed to do was press call. That was all it was, just a button. And a conversation. And a date. Suddenly, the button seemed like a very difficult thing.

Could she do this?

Elsa hated not knowing. It would certainly be easier to not call her, but then Anna would probably be confused, or get the wrong message. But if she did call, it would be just as hard, since Elsa was bad at conversation over the phone. Usually, it was hard to hear the other person, or she didn't notice if they were busy, or she couldn't tell if they didn't want to talk, or some other problem got in the way. It was awful. "I _could_ do this" she told herself, but it wasn't enough. That was theoretical, indecisive. She needed to tell herself 'I _can_ do this.' Come on, just say it. The words. Say the words. Just say it.

The words wouldn't come out. Her phone locked for being unused for so long. "I...I..." If she was both capable and incapable at the same time, it would be a lie to say she 'can'.

Probably because it was a lie.

She couldn't do this.

That familiar feeling of her eyes watering and the blood rushing to her face. She sniffed. She couldn't do this. She thought it. There was no going back. This was something she couldn't do. Elsa put her phone back down, and curled up under the covers. Her breathing became choppy, and tears fell across her nose. She tried to grip her knees to her chest, but her arms felt too weak, too shaky.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't pick up the damn phone and call Anna. It wasn't possible, she was so damn broken and useless. All she needed to do was talk to Anna over the phone, and ask her if she wanted sushi or alfredo. Sure, Anna made the sadness go away, but what was the point if Elsa couldn't do anything anyways? Plus, Anna wouldn't want to deal with this train wreck she was.

That thought made her cry harder. It was true. There was a reason others didn't like to be around melancholy people like her. Anna was so bright and happy and perfect, while Elsa was a mess who couldn't even talk over the phone. Anna would be ruined if she was in a relationship with her. Maybe Elsa should just tell her to go away. It would be better for her. Even if she didn't understand, Anna could deal without her.

Elsa picked up her laptop, and retreated back under her blankets, still crying and puffy-eyed. Netflix. She needed some Netflix. What show could she binge-watch mindlessly and forget about this mess? It was no use anyways, trying to date Anna. There was way too much risk in trying to date her. Elsa should just call her and say that she changed her mind, that she's actually straight and doesn't want to be dating. At least then, they could safely try to be friends.

She wiped at some tears. Friends was on Netflix now. Oh the irony. She should watch that. Anna would never like everything about the real Elsa. The real Elsa was a vacuum of happiness. Hell, even her own happiness disappeared after a while.

Anna was so perfect. Elsa just shouldn't touch anything that perfect.

Well, the mindless binge-watching worked. She forgot completely about Anna and how incapable she was. There were a couple jokes that even made her laugh. She kept wiping away salty water on her cheek, though.

It was about 11 when her stomach growled. That's right, she didn't exactly eat. Well, she may as well have lunch now. She closed her laptop, and came out from her covers. It was so cold, but it felt more refreshing than freezing. She didn't realize how warm it had been under her blankets. Elsa stretched, and pushed at her messy hair. As usual, her bangs and shorter hairs were flying out from its braid, but at least no one was there to see it.

In her fridge were eggs, tortillas, sausage, spinach, tomatoes, fruits, yogurt, milk, cheese and various other basics. She could make a breakfast burrito. It's been a while since she's had one. Elsa also saw the fudge, and stared. The fudge Anna made. For her. It didn't make her sad, really, just...she shouldn't think about it. She grabbed the tortillas and eggs, and got to work.

While she ate her burrito, she thought about the date today. Earlier, it had sent her into a depressive spiral, but now she could probably handle it better. After she's done cleaning, she'll call Anna. Okay. That sounds less impossible. That meant it was more possible. She had to think positively if she wanted that date to happen.

Did she want the date to happen?

No, that was another question. A rather stupid question, at that. Anna had kept all this stupid thinking from happening last night. She could probably make it stop again. Was she placing too much pressure on Anna? Anna didn't even know that Elsa was depending on her. They hadn't even known each other for a week. Was Elsa being clingy?

Darn it, another question. Maybe she really should call Anna. If Anna could tone this down, even a little bit, then the risk might be worth the relief. Elsa finished her burrito, cleaned up, and sat on her bed once more, staring at Anna's number. Oh God. Elsa had never been a religious person, but hopefully God would help her now. She took a deep breath. Her thumb shook as it pressed 'call'.

"Hello?"

"Hi!" Shoot, she should have planned what to say. "How are you doing?" Always a safe choice.

"I'm doing" Anna yawned. "Pretty good. Kinda just woke up."

"Oh no! I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Good thing she didn't call earlier.

"Nah." Anna yawned again, and that made Elsa yawn as well. "So, you said you wanted to go out today. Have anything in mind?"

Thank goodness Anna was so much better at conversation. "I was, um, wondering if you wanted to come to my house for dinner. I was planning on making either sushi or alfredo. What do you think?"

"I've actually never had sushi before." Oh crap, Elsa didn't think of that. What if Anna wanted to try it, and Elsa bought everything and made it, but then Anna actually hated it?

"Would, uh, would you like to try it? I can't say I'm the best at making it, but if it's homemade, you can put whatever you want inside. It's a lot of fun."

"Um, let's see... Sure!" She hesitated. Did she not actually want to try it?

"Sorry, if you want to go with the alfredo, I also know a really good recipe."

"No! My bad, I just had to decide if these oranges were still good or not. I tend to vocalize everything" she laughed, like she was making a joke to herself. It made Elsa smile.

"Okay, that's excellent. You should also teach me the recipe for fudge."

"Awesome! I'd love to. It's a fantastic recipe, because all you need is sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and vanilla. Really easy. I can bring over any ingredients you might be missing."

"Oh, no, I'm going out shopping today anyways."

"Alrighty."

Crap another silence. What should Elsa say? Maybe comment on something from last night? "Thank you for taking me to the museum last night. I really had a lot of fun."

"No problem at all! I'm glad you liked it. I got worried when we started to see more than five penises." They both laughed.

"Yeah, but at least they offset that by showing just as many breasts." That made them both laugh, but Anna much more so. Elsa waited for her to calm down, and listened to her laugh. It sounded like a cross between hyperventilating and an aggressive chuckle. It was actually funny to listen to. But was her joke that funny?

"Sorry, you just sounded so funny saying 'breasts' instead of boobs. I really spend too much time with Kristoff and Eugene."

Elsa blushed. She had forgotten that her word choice was sometimes awkward. That could be blamed on her upbringing. "Oh..." How was she supposed to respond?

"No, no, I'm not laughing at you, I promise!" Anna suddenly exclaimed. "I'm laughing at my own reaction to it, really, please don't be offended."

"I'm not offended, I just wasn't sure how to react." Elsa laughed a little in relief. Goodness, she was scared for a bit there.

"Sorry, again."

"No, don't worry about it." She smiled politely, out of habit. Should she say goodbye now? Or should she keep talking? Well...Elsa really liked talking, and she didn't have to go for a while... "Your laugh is actually really cute." Wait, was this flirting?

"Thank you." Her tone was flirtatious, maybe overly-flirtatious, but at least Elsa noticed it. "Ooh, hey, I gotta get going. I've got lunch with my parents in a half hour. When should I come over?"

Crap, she didn't think that part through. Before 6 definitely, since they would be hungry already. Maybe 5? No, that was rush hour traffic. "Does 4:30 sound good?"

"Yes! Text me your address, and I'll see you at 4:30!"

"Excellent. I'll see you soon."

"Bye!" Her tone was so light. Elsa wished she could record it and keep it.

"Bye" Elsa replied, and took the phone away from her ear. The screen changed to the menu after Anna had hung up.

She felt exhausted. At least it was over. She flopped down on top of her blanket. Okay, now she needed to text her the address.

Tonight might be difficult, if this kept up at all.

* * *

**I tried to make Elsa's depression as realistic as possible, based on my experience. If this sounds like how you think about yourself and your capabilities, please seek mental help. Depression can be subtle. **

**I love reviews, so keep 'em coming!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's another one. Enjoy!**

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"Bye dearie! Have fun with your pretty lady tonight!" Her mom winked at her.

"Mom!" Anna exclaimed. The 53-year old woman was always fun and happy, and Anna thankfully inherited that from her, but sometimes, her mom forgot they were in public.

"Love you!" her Dad said, laughing and wrapping an arm around his wife. Anna smiled, and waved. She adjusted her purse across her shoulders, and walked off to the bus stop. Okay. 4:30. That was 3 hours from now. They were going to make sushi, and fudge. A cooking date. Genius idea. Why didn't Anna think of that before?

Well, it sounded more like a second date than a first date. Elsa was so smart. Maybe they could watch a movie together. No, that sounded more like a third date. What about the first, real kiss? When would that be okay?

Anna smiled when she remembered the kiss she gave to Elsa on her hand. That was the smoothest, sexiest thing she had ever done. Well, Elsa was the sexiest person she'd ever dated. Thank goodness Anna leveled up the sexy with Elsa. What about a real kiss though? Was that something Elsa would be comfortable with on a second date? Third? Fifteenth? Would she have to level up the sexy even more?

At least Elsa actually wanted to be around her. She even invited Anna to her home. Speaking of which, she needed to figure out the bus route she should take to get there.

She looked up the address on her phone on the bus ride home. Elsa apparently lived in the nicer part of town, but not the most expensive part. Anna had passed by it a few times on the way to her parent's house. She knew how to get there already. It just wasn't fun because she had to change buses in the middle. Oh well. At least she knew the routine.

When she stepped off the bus, her phone buzzed. It was Rapunzel. "Hello?"

"Heyya! How are things going with you?"

"Pretty darn good! The date last night went so well, we have another date this evening." She smiled in excitement.

"With whom?"

"Oh dear, I never sent that text, did I?" It was a bad habit of Anna's, to write texts and then get distracted before sending it. "I went on a date with..." dramatic pause "Doctor Sleet."

"Really? That's fantastic! Tell me everything!"

"Well, we went to a sculpture museum, and there were some interesting pieces there, so that helped with the conversation. We walked from the hospital and back, and talked a lot with each other. We even held hands on the way back." She smiled even wider at the memory.

"You are such a player!" Rapunzel was laughing. "But really, I am glad it went well. Did you kiss her?" Rapunzel started giggling again.

"Actually, kinda yeah."

Rapunzel quieted the giggling, but there was still a smile in her voice. "Do tell."

"Well, after she gave me her number, it seemed like it was time for me to go, and so, I, uh, did what was probably the smoothest thing in my life. I picked up her hand, and stared into her eyes all sexy-like, and kissed it. Then I said 'I had a lot of fun, I can't wait for tomorrow' or something like that. Then I walked off."

"Holy crap-a-doodle! Eugene should take romance lessons from you! How did she react?"

Anna started to giggle. "She seemed kinda flustered. I was expecting the date to end the other way around." They both laughed.

"And what are you guys doing tonight?"

"I'm going over to her place, and we're making fudge and sushi."

"You're going over to her place already?" Rapunzel didn't sound as excited anymore.

"Yeah." Was that supposed to be a cause for concern? "What's with the change in tone?"

"Oh, I just... you... well... Just don't rush things."

She was right, of course. This was fairly similar to what happened with Hans the bastard. Anna was obsessed with him, and on the second date, she went over to his apartment, and they were making out after an hour. At the time, it was sexy and fun and romantic, but looking back, it was too early. She should have seen it in the first place. Hans only wanted to get in her pants. They didn't screw on that date, because Anna didn't feel like they were committed to each other enough, but when Hans proposed on the fourth date, they banged. All night.

God, she was so stupid. She should have suspected something. Who the hell proposes on the fourth date? They had known each other for about three weeks, that's not how quickly marriages are supposed to happen!

"With Elsa... I feel more in control. I want to get to know her. I'm going to make this work." It was more like a promise to herself. Though, since Rapunzel heard, she would actively and forcefully keep Anna in line if things were going too fast. Anna hoped it wouldn't happen, but Rapunzel was good at seeing a problem before it happens.

"Get to know everything about her, okay? The little things and the big things, everything she won't tell people. If you think you know her completely, you don't."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Gee, that's helpful. Got anything more generic?"

"Sorry! I just want you to...to navigate this safely. Romance isn't easy."

"Says the girl who's been dating the same man since high school."

"Ugh. Do not get me started on his latest antics."

Uh oh. Eugene did something to piss her off. That rarely happened. "Well, you should let it out. Tell me." Anna dug around in her purse for her apartment key. Her watch said it was 1:50 already.

Rapunzel began ranting at a mile a minute. Anna had to keep from laughing at times. On occasion, her voice got high pitched and even faster, and Anna could practically see her narrowing her eyes, hunching her shoulders and pointing the nearest cooking utensil at an imaginary Eugene. Apparently, Eugene had paid to have their car painted with the cheesy flames, like it was a toy car. It would cost even more money to have it turned back to its normal blue color. At least Eugene made a lot of money with his business, Anna thought. They could pay for that easily with his salary.

"I just don't understand how you drive past a body shop and think 'hey, I really liked Hotwheels as a kid, now's the time to start driving one!' Now I'm going to have to start driving around in the darn thing for who-knows how long! And the worst part, he parked the car and proceeded to vomit on the seats. I had literally cleaned them THAT AFTERNOON."

"Was he sick?"

"Not even! I had to clean it up, every nasty bit, because he passed out on the doorway. I'm so getting him when he wakes up."

Oh no. This didn't sound good. "Rapunzel... could he have been drunk?"

Rapunzel went silent. "I'll be right back" she said in a low voice. She hung up.

Anna put her phone in her purse. Eugene was in for some serious scolding from Rapunzel. Drunk driving was dangerous, everyone in the hospital knew that. Too many people came in with high blood alcohol levels and serious injuries. Thank goodness Eugene didn't get hurt. They could both be grateful for that at the end of the day.

Let's see. 2:00. She had about two hours to get ready, and it would half about a half-hour to get to Elsa's place. Suddenly, she felt very rushed. She still hadn't showered, and she would need to dry her hair, or else it turned into a poofy mess, then she needed to choose what to wear, and depending on what she wore, she might need to shave her legs. Should she wear makeup? Normally she didn't, but did she want to look nicer than normal? No, it's not like they were going out.

Hold on, what if Elsa just wanted to be friends? This did seem like more of a 'friends' kind of activity, cooking together. And Elsa did mention that she never had friends growing up, or in college or at work. Maybe she just wanted to have a friend for the first time in forever. "Am I just taking advantage of her loneliness?" she asked aloud. Maybe Elsa wasn't attracted to women at all. Or maybe she wanted to just stay in for the date so that no one saw them together.

But they went out yesterday, and Elsa didn't _seem_ uncomfortable being seen with her. Elsa seemed very happy, in fact. And over the phone, she called her laugh cute. She had blushed so much, thank goodness Elsa couldn't see her. But that was always the trouble with trying to flirt with other women. Was it a compliment or flirting? She always had trouble telling.

Darn it, she was asking too many questions she didn't know the answer to. She skewed her mouth, and sighed. Maybe she could try and talk with Elsa about this, so that they were being honest with each other. Those conversations always felt awkward, but it was still nice to be honest, and it would be nice know what each other wanted.

"Okay, Anna, you're just standing and staring at the wall" she told herself. It was time to get ready for their date, and she had only two hours. She chose her clothes first, deciding on shorts and a tight, long-sleeved shirt. She would tuck it in, since it looked cuter that way. She wasn't excited to shave her legs though. She would have to be very slow and very careful.

Anna put music on a speaker, and hoped it wasn't too loud for her neighbors. She sang along to the Kelly Clarkson and Fall Out Boy and Maroon 5. She only nicked herself twice, but both were very small. They should heal up quickly, no band-aids. By the time she finished her pigtails, it was already 3:00. No makeup today. That would be for a classier date. This one was probably casual. The music still played as she got dressed.

The mirror made her look...good. That can't be. Her butt couldn't be that cute, and her neck couldn't be that smooth. "Wow" she said to herself. Sure, she usually wore one of two sexy dresses to the clubs downtown. Both were short and tight and had thin straps. This, however, was the first time she had worn _cute_ clothes in a while.

It took a while to find her sneakers in the closet, but when she found them, she decided against it. They didn't smell too great. She threw them in the laundry bin, and searched for her Toms. They were bright blue, so they were easy to find. Good thing they matched her red shirt.

"Yes!" She smiled at herself in the mirror. Everything was coming together. All that was left was to _not_ spill food on herself at Elsa's house.

Wait. Should she bring a gift over? Like wine or something? That sounded like something adults did, but Anna knew nothing about wine. Was there something else that would work? Apple juice! No one would refuse apple juice. Yes, that sounded good. That meant she would need to stop at the grocery store beforehand, but it was still 3:30. She had time.

What she didn't anticipate, however, was how heavy the apple juice was. Dang. At least she'd be able to put it down on the bus. She made it to the bus just in time. She sat down in relief. Okay. It seemed like she didn't forget anything. She had her phone, her bus pass, a few breath-mints, her purse, her shoes and her wallet. So far, so good.

She played various games on her phone to keep her distracted. She was so absorbed in a game of Temple Run that she almost missed the stop for the next bus. Then she almost forgot the apple juice. "Come on Anna, pull yourself together" she told herself.

Was she just nervous? No, she wasn't nervous. Not in the least bit, no, not at all nervous... Well, she did feel like her stomach was very, very tight. Maybe she just needed to burp. Or fart. Or maybe she hadn't eaten enough for lunch.

Or maybe she was actually nervous.

Anna's toes curled inside her shoes, and she stepped from one foot to the other. The games on her phone would drain the battery if she kept playing them. She was on 50% already, and she didn't bring a charger. At least she remembered her phone in the first place. She also remembered her purse after getting off the bus. That was another good thing.

"Things are going good" she told herself as she stepped on the bus. It would be okay.

She double-checked to see bus stop she needed to get off at, and then checked again. Then she looked to see how long it would take to get to Elsa's house. Elsa probably had a pretty clean, and stylish house. There were probably white couches and a fireplace, and then a coffee table made of glass. And her kitchen would probably have one of those island counters. And she probably had dark, polished wooden floors. Definitely.

It was 4:15.

It wasn't far from the bus stop to Elsa's house. Thank goodness for that. The apple juice was feeling more and more heavy. It was 4:24 when she knocked on the door. Crap, what if it was too early? What if Elsa wasn't home?

The door opened. There she was. In a pale blue dress with little white flowers. And her hair was in its usual, gorgeous updo. How on earth does she get her hair to do that, and still look so soft?

"Hi." Elsa smiled. She was so pretty.

Wait, she needed to respond. She smiled as best as she could. "Hi."

* * *

**Sorry if it seems boring. I'm aiming for a more realistic version of the Elsanna AU. Review if you like, review if you don't! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter!**

* * *

There she was. Cute pigtails, little freckles, smooth legs. Elsa had to keep from staring at the legs. That would be creepy. But dang, they looked really... attractive. Elsa just wanted to feel them, maybe hold them, or...

"I brought apple juice." Anna held up a grocery bag, with a big smile on her face. Elsa couldn't help but to smile with her.

"Oh, thank you!" This wasn't a normal gift, as far as Elsa could tell, but she still had to be gracious. "I'll go put it in the fridge. Come in!"

Elsa left the door open, and walked over into the kitchen. Let's see, the rice cooker only needed 10 more minutes, the seaweed was out, the cucumber was sliced and the sashimi was in the fridge in neat, long slices. The vegetables were cut and ready. Elsa also had bought mangoes, bananas and peaches for fruit sushi.

"Wow, you really have a nice place."

"Thank you!" Yea, she spent the whole day sweeping and vacuuming and washing counters and mirrors. Elsa shut the fridge and smiled at Anna. "Make yourself at home. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Apple juice would be great" Anna giggled. Elsa blushed, and turned to get a cup. Crap, that was just a routine, polite question she was used to saying. She should have thought before saying it. Elsa put some ice in a cup, and then gave it to Anna. "Thank you." She took a sip of it. "I never realized how much apple juice looks like alcohol."

Elsa laughed lightly, and then it was quiet. "Um, how was lunch with your parents today?"

"It was great! I told them about you and our date last night. We talked about my cousins, and they told me about their latest church shenanigans."

Was Anna's family religious? "What church do they go to?"

"Oh, it's a non-denominational Christian one, ten minute north of where they live. They're a pretty fun group, I grew up going to services on Sundays and the activities on Wednesdays. I'm still friends with some of those goofballs. What about you? Did you go to church growing up?"

"Well, we would go to various church services on the weekends. I think my mother made us all go, because she didn't want to explore the churches alone." Elsa smiled at the memories. "One time we went to a Sikh center, and my mom had done her hair in a new updo, and then she had to wear a scarf on her head, and she was so disappointed."

"Which one did you like the best?"

"Probably the Mormon church, actually. I was a teenager when I went, and the first hour was about charity, and I felt really good about that. Then the second hour was a lesson with a few other teenagers about spiritual independence. I wasn't there for the third hour, though, because Mother really disliked what she learned in the second hour. I tried to ask her what it was about, but she wouldn't answer."

"Three hours of church?"

Elsa smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, but it was interesting. I tried going a couple of years ago, but those lessons didn't feel nearly as interesting. I mean, they were good lessons, since they were talking about grace and strength, but still. I had trouble learning anything new."

"Yeah, I see what you mean" Anna laughed. "I had a few friends in high school who were Mormon. We were all in theater, and they were all nice. When I came out as bisexual, though, one of the Mormons would always glare at me and ignore me. Well, the other Mormons hated her too, and I kinda felt bad for her. I wonder where she is now."

Okay, that's good to note. Anna was bisexual. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you, uh, I mean...what hinted you towards your sexuality?"

Anna laughed awkwardly. "Well, I was never interested in boys until I got to junior high, and after a while I noticed that the guys I liked had a lot of feminine qualities. Like David, who could sing really well, or Joey, who was really skinny and had long hair. When I got to high school, I noticed I kept staring at lots of older girls. Just like how I would stare at boys, but I still liked boys. It was pretty funny, actually. A friend from the poetry club was describing bisexuality, and I was like 'hey, that sounds a lot like me!'"

Well... Elsa was thinking about Anna's legs earlier, and perhaps feeling them... "So, then, uh, how would y-you describe your sexuality?" God, this was embarrassing, but she really needed to get an idea of how sexuality worked, so maybe hearing about Anna's would help.

"Hm..."

"Well, if you don't want to, that's okay. I just... I just need a bit of a reference point." Elsa looked at anywhere but Anna. This was so embarrassing. Elsa should have gone out with a boy in college, so she at least had an idea of what she liked.

"What are you? I mean, uh, what would you say your sexuality is right now?" Anna asked her.

How could Anna be so calm about this? Elsa felt her cheeks growing warm. This wasn't exactly date conversation. "I really don't know. I've never been attracted to anyone, really. This is all really new to me." Elsa glanced at Anna. She seemed like she was listening.

"That's totally okay! If, uh, if you don't mind me asking, what do you think of-of me?"

Oh goodness. This was going quickly. "I think I, uh, I definitely like you. But I'm just-just not sure about anything yet. If that makes sense." Was that answer safe? Would Anna be disappointed?

Anna smiled, and sighed. "Yeah, I was kinda afraid of that to be honest. I definitely like you too, but I think I _like_ like you." Elsa looked up at Anna. She was walking towards her.

Oh no, was she going for a kiss? Elsa sure as hell wasn't ready for that. But her feet wouldn't move, all she could do was stare. No, please, she wasn't ready.

Anna's hands held one of hers. She stayed back, leaving a couple feet between them. Relief let Elsa exhale finally. "You can take all the time you need to figure things out. I can answer any questions you might have. Then, of course, there's the internet, but don't take any of those sexuality quizzes. Those are total BS. Also don't look at the porn, because it's highly inaccurate."

A laugh bubbled out of Elsa. She had to cover her mouth. That was an unexpectedly explicit comment, and it was either the surprise or the truth of it that make her laugh. Anna was smiling too. "Well that sounds like advice I can follow."

"Really, though. If you want to talk about anything, or try anything from kissing to going on another date, you can call me. I...I don't want to take advantage of your uncertainty, and I'm happy to help you figure things out."

Elsa smiled at her. She had never noticed that Anna's eyes were a beautiful shade of turquoise. Anna was offering to be her friend. Sure, a friend that was completely willing to kiss whenever she asked, but still a friend. "Thank you" she said, putting her hand on Anna's. They were so warm.

"Any day." She smiled again. "In the meantime, how about we get that sushi started? I'm pretty excited about this, actually."

"Right!" Elsa smiled, and felt Anna's hand leave hers. No... it was so cold... "The rice is almost done, but we need to get started with the seaweed." Elsa walked over to the fridge, and picked out the rice vinegar and sashimi. She closed the fridge door with her hips since her hands were full. She saw Anna watching her.

Anna was looking apprehensive, but she started on the sushi with Elsa anyways. As Anna worked on spreading the rice, the room fell silent.

Shoot, Elsa, think of something! Talk about the weather. No, don't talk about the weather, that's boring. Talk about her. Ask her about some of her favorite interests. "Do you have any hobbies?" Elsa finally managed to ask. She almost sighed in relief when Anna picked up.

"Besides Netflix and sleeping?" They both laughed. "Well, I know I like hiking, but it's been a while. I never seem to have enough time on the weekends. And, uh, I used to like playing the clarinet, but that's another one from the past. What about you?"

"Oh, uh, good question." What did she like to do? Honestly speaking, she didn't do much besides work, because that kept her busy. She had her parent's piano in the dining room, but... it hurt to try and play it. Did she do anything? She liked making her own food. "I like cooking." Anything else? Oh, yea, psychology. "And does psychology count as a hobby? I just tend to spend a lot of time watching documentaries and reading journals about recent discoveries."

"What got you interested in that?"

"Well, I took a class in college, and I really liked it. And then the internet got useful, and it made it a lot easier to find out new things."

"Golly, you're so smart." Anna smiled at her. She looked so pretty when she smiled.

Oh no, that was a compliment. How are people supposed to respond to compliments? "Heh, well, I thank my parents for making me love education and giving me the smart genes. It also helps that I don't spend much time with people outside work."

"What about your parents? Do they live close, or are they still in Quebec?"

"They, uh, they died a couple of years ago." Elsa didn't look at Anna. "They were in Florida for a wedding, and they were out boating, and there was an accident."

"Oh goodness" Anna breathed. Elsa could feel her eyes watching her. "You probably had to organize the funeral and arrange their possessions and everything. That's horrible."

Elsa gulped, and nodded. She was right, of course. Anna was smart like that. The accuracy of it hurt. Don't cry. Not in front of Anna. Don't let a single damn drop fall. Conceal. Don't feel. "You, uh, did a good job on the rice."

"Oh, uh, thanks." Crap. Elsa's sad story made Anna lose her energy. Dammit. That's exactly why she didn't want to bring it up. Great job, Elsa, it's been about 15 minutes and you've already screwed things up. "Do you wanna..." Anna didn't finish her question, but she just stared at the counter. Anna must really feel uncomfortable. Okay, just don't talk about Mother and Father again. Don't. "What's next?"

Elsa took a quick breath. "Oh, let's see. Next is the fish." She took a strip of the raw fish. "This kind is called sashimi." She put it across the rice, and showed Anna how to roll it, then let her try. Elsa made sure to back off when Anna was working.

"Done!" Anna exclaimed, smiling. Elsa smiled with her.

"This looks great! Would you like to make some more?"

"Yes! I never realized this was so easy. I'm never going to a sushi bar again." That comment made Elsa laugh.

Elsa got another sheet of seaweed paper out, and prepared it. Anna scooped the rice again, and used her hand and the spatula to spread the rice. Some of it was stuck on her fingers. "Here you go" Anna said, wiping the rice onto Elsa's hand with a giggle.

"Hey!" Elsa cried, picking up a small clump of rice and throwing it at Anna's face. It stuck on her cheekbone. They laughed together. Elsa laughed even harder when Anna tried to get the clump with her tongue.

Elsa and Anna ended up making two more with sashimi and vegetables, and two with fruit, one completely made of vegetables, and managed to have two more rice-fights. "You ready to cut?" Elsa asked.

"Definitely! I'm starting to get hungry finally, and this is looking good." Anna was dancing between her feet, like she had too much energy for her body.

Elsa pulled out a knife from the drawer. "Woah" Anna said breathily. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Sorry" Elsa laughed, and rinsed the blade in water. "I'm glad I washed off the blood from the last time I used it to cut up human flesh, but it's always good to make sure none of that comes out in the flavor."

Elsa tried really hard to not smile at her own sarcasm. Or was it just supposed to be a ridiculous lie?

"Uh...excuse me?" Anna said, sounding surprised. Elsa had to laugh then.

"Sorry, that was another attempt at a joke."

When Anna realized that, she started to laugh as well. Well, for her, it may have been more out of relief than anything. Dammit Elsa, you should stop with the morbid jokes. Nobody laughs at them.

"Alrighty, now, we're almost ready to eat." Elsa began cutting two rolls at once, and she saw Anna stand on her other side. Her hands rested on the counter, pretty close to where Elsa was leaning against. Those warm hands... "Could you get the soy sauce from the cupboard? It should be between the fridge and the pantry, on the third shelf."

"Okay!" Anna said happily. Elsa pulled up the next roll, and cut faster without the distraction.

"Do you want to use chopsticks?" she asked while Anna looked around behind her.

"Sure! I don't know if I'm any good at it, but I can sure try!"

"You've never used chopsticks before?"

"No, I only ever used a fork for the takeout I have every once in a while."

Elsa started on the second to last roll. "Would you like me to teach you?"

"Oh my gosh, yes please. I always feel embarrassed when I have to ask for a fork at restaurants."

"Alrighty. It isn't as hard as they make it seem, really. Could you grab the chopsticks from the drawer between the fridge and the dishwasher?"

"Sure!"

Elsa finished quickly with the rolls. "Alrighty, I'll put out some plates for the soy sauce. I prefer no soy sauce, but you might like it."

"Does it make it taste better?" Anna asked, putting the chopsticks and soy sauce down on the counter as she sat on the bar stool. She tilted her head to the side as she examined the bottle. Like a confused puppy.

"It makes it taste more bitter-slash-salty. Some people like it, some people don't." She set the sushi in front of Anna's spot and where she would sit, and grabbed the sauce plates. "Bon apetit!"

"Is that how the Japanese say it?" Anna giggled. Elsa did too. "Well, we finished just in time, my stomach just growled."

"Then it all worked out perfectly. You ready for chopstick lessons?" They both giggled at the formal name for a simple thing. "Okay, so first, put the chopsticks in between your thumb and side of your palm." Elsa demonstrated, and Anna copied her. "Then you separate them." Anna copied her again. "Next, you put the top chopstick on the end of your middle finger, and the bottom on the end of your fourth." Anna had trouble with this one. Her tongue stuck out in concentration as she tried to get the position right. Elsa smiled.

"I need help" she said after a moment, looking up at Elsa.

"Here. May I?" Elsa asked politely. She nodded. Elsa readjusted Anna's fingers to hold the chopstick properly. Her hand was so warm. "Like this" she said. She could feel Anna's eyes on her face. Elsa didn't want meet those eyes until she let go of Anna's hand.

"Okay! This feels more comfortable!" Anna exclaimed when Elsa backed away. She clicked the chopsticks together. "Perfect!"

"Now try to get a piece of sushi, and dip it in soy sauce."

"Alrighty, I can do this!" Anna told herself, which made Elsa smile again. An awful lot of things Anna did made Elsa smile. Strange.

The piece of sushi she gripped shook, but didn't fall on its way to the soy sauce. She did, however, have trouble bringing the sushi from the soy sauce to her mouth. After a moment, she just picked it up with her fingers and tried to bite half of it. The sushi piece was falling apart, and Anna's eyes went wide, panicked.

"Just bite the whole thing. That's how you're supposed to eat it." Elsa tried to keep from laughing at how stressed Anna looked at the disintegrating piece of sushi.

"Oh thank god!" she exclaimed, shoving the entire thing into her mouth. "Hey! This is actually pretty good!"

"I'm glad you like it!" Elsa began eating some herself. There was a bit too much rice, but it was still good. Thank goodness nothing had gone wrong yet, but she didn't want to jinx herself. She ate some more of the fish and vegetable kind, her favorite.

"Ooh, here's a question" Anna suddenly said. Elsa looked over at her, after she finished chewing. "If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

"I'd like to spend some time in Norway, during the winter" Elsa immediately answered.

"How come?"

"I like the cold weather, and I'd really like to see the northern lights sometime in my life."

"That's interesting! I never would have guessed that about you."

Elsa smiled at her comment. "What about you? Where would you visit?"

"Oh, probably somewhere in Mediterranean Europe, either Spain or Greece. Or maybe Italy. I love the coastal weather, and it's pretty warm there during the spring, unlike here."

"I heard it's still snowing up in Canada" Elsa laughed. "I'd like to see how long you'd survive."

"But didn't you say that-oh, hang on." The song 'I'm a Barbie Girl' started playing. Anna pulled out her phone. "I'm so sorry, I have to take this, it's my cousin who may or may not have gotten in a huge fight with her husband."

"Go ahead." Oh dear. At least Anna asked permission first. Elsa wanted to keep talking to her, but hopefully Anna can help her cousin work things out.

"Thank you. Rapunzel?"

"Calm down, I can't tell what you're saying."

"Where is he?"

"No, Rapunzel, it's okay. Take a deep breath. Take a breath with me." She inhaled and exhaled audibly.

"You've made it through worse things with Eugene. He's... what?"

"Bottles in his office?"

"I'm so sorry, honey. Please talk to him. It's not you're fault. Whatever problem he has cannot be your fault. You need to talk to him."

"Okay. Do you feel better? Do you feel like you can talk to him?"

"Okay, call me back when you're done. Just- no! Just help him solve the problem."

"I love you too. You're awesome. You can do this." Anna smiled, even though her cousin couldn't see it, and then hung up.

Damn, she was good at helping people through emotions. First she offered to help Elsa through her sexuality problem, and now she's helping her cousin work on her relationship. Were all people this emotionally intelligent? Was this normal? Or was Anna simply so much more talented than herself?

Anna sighed while staring at the screen of her phone. On an impulse, Elsa reached out her hand and held Anna's open one. Her fingers wrapped comfortably around Anna's palm, and her thumb rested on the back of her knuckles. "You're a good person" Elsa said, smiling. If only she could be as helpful as Anna was. Sure, Elsa cut people open and fixed their bodies, but did she really help? Anna was so much better than her.

Anna smiled at her. "Says the woman who saves lives every day. I wish I could do what you do."

Elsa started laughing. If Anna really meant what she said, their views on each other were identical. "Yes, I do that, but you actually make people feel better."

Anna started to laugh too. "Okay, I see the irony. How about, we agree that we help people in equally important ways?" She smiled at her. They were looking into each others eyes. Elsa wanted to look away, but that would probably be rude.

Elsa nodded. She was right, of course. Elsa knew her job was important. It was hard to remember, though, when all she ever saw unconscious people on a table in front of her. She never saw that they would leave the hospital and feel better. People who feel better can be happier. Logically, she knew she helped people feel happier. There was even a woman who stopped by to thank her for it.

But she had to stay away from them, she couldn't get emotionally attached. Anna got to laugh and smile with them, and make the patients feel better.

"I wish I had your people skills" Elsa sighed. God, Anna was so smart and capable in ways Elsa could never be.

"Hey" Anna said. Elsa suddenly felt a hand on the side of her neck. It was so warm. She looked up at Anna. That was her hand. It was so warm. Elsa could feel her skin warming up, but was she nervous? Excited? Disgusted? It was simply... warmth. How did she feel about it? "Don't say that about yourself." Elsa barely heard Anna speak. That hand. It was so close to her. No one had ever been this close to her. Her throat seemed to close up, and she gulped to try and stop the feeling. It was no use.

Anna's eyes were watching her. Was she supposed to say something back? Her hand was so warm. What did she say again? She gulped again. They were looking at each other, and Elsa was having trouble remembering what Anna was trying to say.

"I, uh, can you, uh..." She wanted to ask Anna to move her hand away. Her entire body was feeling warmer. All she could think about was her hand. This felt so private, intimate. Were they about to kiss? Was she ready for something like this? She'd been so alone for years already, so maybe she was unconsciously ready? Or maybe she'd never be ready?

"Sorry, what?" Anna asked. Elsa realized this was probably very casual to Anna. Physical touch was normal to her. This wasn't meant to be intimate. The real question here was, did Elsa like it?

"Just, uh..." Elsa couldn't get her words to work.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Anna exclaimed, immediately moving her hand from Elsa's neck. Elsa's heart was pounding loudly in her ears, and her hands felt sweaty. It was hard to focus on anything but how disoriented she felt. Anna's hand was so close. Did she like it? Well, nothing had made her blood race that quickly in a long time. And even then, only embarrassment had ever had a similar effect on her, and she certainly wasn't feeling embarrassed. If only she could look at what neurotransmitters were firing in her brain, maybe she could get an idea of what the reaction meant.

"No, I'm sorry. That isn't normal, is it?" Elsa laughed awkwardly.

"It's okay. It's a perfectly normal reaction if you aren't used to it" Anna said, trying to comfort her. Elsa couldn't meet her eyes. Anna didn't know what she was feeling. It was confusion, and heat. It made her laugh inside. Usually she preferred the cold, but...is that changing? She didn't mind that warmth, but

Elsa wanted to feel Anna's hand on her neck again, and she grabbed Anna's open hand, and put it on her neck. Did she like the warmth? The warmth was certainly returning, but...

"I want to get used to it" Elsa said aloud. Holy crap, she was really making herself move fast. Did she want this? Did she want to be intimate with Anna? Anna was such a beautiful woman, and so kind, and helpful, and emotionally supportive person. If Elsa was to date anyone, Anna would probably be the best person she could possibly find.

She might not be ready, but she wasn't going to care. She looked back at Anna, and smiled.

* * *

**Sorry it was a late chapter, I had a lot of trouble making this seem both realistic and adorable.**


End file.
